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Heart Attack Prevention

Lafferty Family Care Scott Lafferty, MD Our Services Heart Attack Prevention
Scott Lafferty, MD - - Family Medicine Physician

Lafferty Family Care

Scott Lafferty, MD

Family Medicine Physician & Aesthetic Specialist located in Rogers, AR

Heart attacks are a common cause of death, but many times they’re preventable with healthy lifestyle habits and heart attack prevention measures. At Lafferty Family Care in Bentonville, Arkansas, Dr. Scott Lafferty helps reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and other heart and blood vessel problems. Call the office to learn more, or use the online scheduler today.

 

Heart Attack Prevention Q & A

What is heart attack prevention?

About 1.5 million heart attacks happen yearly in the United States, and half of these cases have normal cholesterol levels without red flags indicating heart trouble. In fact, 80% of people who experience heart attacks have cholesterol levels similar to people who don’t experience heart attacks, and 80% of coronary heart disease cases are linked to genetics.

Lafferty Family Care offers advanced heart attack prevention tools in addition to cholesterol blood panels to obtain an accurate assessment of your heart attack and stroke risks and take action against future problems.

Who benefits from heart attack prevention?

Heart attack risk factors include:

  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Diabetes 
  • Insulin resistance 
  • Weight challenges
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Smoking
  • Family history of heart attacks
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Gum disease
  • Anxiety
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Erectile dysfunction (ED) in men
  • Psoriasis 
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Pre-eclampsia 
  • Poor dietary habits
  • Lack of exercise
  • Older age

Ways to reduce the chance of a heart attack include eating a heart-healthy diet rich in fiber, getting regular exercise and enough sleep, and minimizing stress.

Is heart attack prevention right for me?

To determine your heart attack risk factors, Dr. Lafferty reviews your personal and family medical histories, weighs you, checks your blood pressure, and completes a physical exam. 

Lafferty Family Care also offers cholesterol screenings, advanced lipid testing, carotid intima-media thickness ultrasounds (CIMTs), oral DNA testing, and numerous other genetic testing options.

Knowing your heart attack risk factors is one of the best ways to take precautionary measures and minimize your chance of heart and blood vessel problems.

Depending on your personalized risk factors, heart attack prevention measures may include:

  • Diet and exercise changes
  • Stress reduction strategies
  • Medically supervised weight loss
  • Medications
  • Further diagnostic testing
  • Medical procedures

You might also seek treatment for anxiety, PTSD, or other potential mental health challenges that may increase your chance of a heart attack.

What are the signs of a heart attack?

It’s important to become familiar with common signs of a heart attack, including:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain, tightness, pressure, aching, or squeezing
  • Pain that spreads to your arm, back, neck, shoulder, jaw, or belly
  • Fatigue
  • Cold sweats
  • Indigestion
  • Heartburn
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Nausea

If you suspect you or a loved one is having a heart attack, dial 911 immediately.

Call the Lafferty Family Care office to learn more about heart attack prevention, or schedule an appointment online today.

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